In Blood Moon, a mom and her young son seek a quiet life in a dusty desert town. There’s also a secret about the young man, and she must make careful plans for each full moon to avoid discovery.
The film debuted on Hulu March 26, two days ahead of this month’s full moon. As the latest installment of Blumhouse’s Into the Dark anthology film series, Blood Moon makes the most of the suspense in its situation. However, the ultimate payoff may be a little light for many horror fans.
On the other hand, those up for a family drama with a fantastical premise should find the flick engaging. All Into the Dark entries make the most of careful attention to structure, in true TV-Movie form. Think of them as the Playhouse 90 of horror.
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In Blood Moon, that approach tees up a rich performance by Megalyn Echikunwoke (Almost Family) as Esme, mother to 10-year-old-son, Luna (Yonas Kibreab).
She’s tough and independent out of necessity, and we see Esme taking steps and milking relationships in order to do what needs to be done. In flashbacks, we also come to understand the decisions that led to a life on the run.
Esme finds compassion in a couple of decent locals, most notably Marco Rodríguez as a hardware store owner with a paternal instinct toward her. He also has a granddaughter who’d make a great friend for Luna. Joshua Dov is engaging as a friendly barkeep as well.
Relationships are a luxury Esme can’t afford. In a town with a brutal sheriff and a sketchy deputy, the best intentions lead to complications as the title’s moon approaches.
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The film’s tightly directed by Emma Tammi, who also did Into the Dark’s Delivered, and deftly scripted by Adam Mason. There are a few reasonable strokes of shorthand to keep the premise working, (Don’t they do bloodwork before they administer antibiotics in most hospitals?) so it’s best to not look too closely.
If you’ve liked other Into the Dark installments, you won’t mind Blood Moon. It’s also good to note this one’s maybe a little more level-headed than slightly zanier entries like Pilgrim.
Wicked Rating: 8/10
Director: Emma Tammi
Writer: Adam Mason
Starring: Megalyn Echikunwoke, Yonas Kibreab, Marco Rodríguez, Joshua Dov
Release: March 26, 2021 (Hulu)
Language: English
Runtime: 82 minutes
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